I requested and was given permission to reprint messages from Volume Six of Direction for our Times, as given to "Anne", a Lay Apostle. See this link for more on this particular apostolate.
This is the first of four sections of this particular volume: Mary, an Unknown Saint, speaks to Mothers.
This does not include the introduction, table of contents, comments from the publisher or other portions included in the book version.
June 7, 2004 Mary (an unknown saint)
With gracious permission from the Lord Jesus Christ, I speak today to all mothers. You are living in a time where mothers are no longer honored for the important role they play in the protection and development of society. Mothers, you are the cornerstone of the home and the home is the place where a person’s soul begins his or her critical formation. The enemy labors relentlessly to persuade mothers that they should leave the home and abandon the development of their children to others. Mothers, another person cannot love your child the way you love your child. Another person, even though they may be a good person, is not intimately interested in the emotional and spiritual development of your child. Many of you must work to support your family. Jesus understands that and will help you, as will I. But you must scrutinize your situation fearlessly and be certain you are leaving your children so that you can earn the money to procure necessities. It will not be acceptable to say you left the rearing of your children to others so that you could earn money that was not needed. I tell you this because Our Lord wishes families to be together. Jesus, who knows exactly what each soul requires for proper formation, is asking that mothers remain home with their children whenever possible. I am unknown in your world, yet, I am a beloved saint here in heaven. On earth, I cared for my children in my home. There were many times when I found the work tedious. I can assure you that I often longed to be working outside of my home because I had always thought I would work professionally. The days may seem tedious, dear mothers, but when stitched together they make the most beautiful tapestry that illustrates the growth of a little soul. I earned a very high place in heaven simply by caring for my husband and children. If you have more than one child then you are teaching Christ-like behavior all day long as you show the children how to behave toward each other. If this beautiful formation occurs in your home, you will send your children out, knowing that you have helped the Kingdom to release Christ followers into the troubled world. You may not understand the gravity of your role but if you meditate on it you will see that if all mothers were to abandon their responsibilities, we would see even greater darkness. Jesus will not allow this of course. I want to speak to those mothers who have lost children through sickness or tragedy. Dearest mother, whose heart is broken, you will see your child again, and when you do you will see that your child has been joyful and cared for in your brief separation. Do not grieve if you can help it, but spread joy to those who also grieve. Ask me and I will help you to do this because I know that it seems an impossible thing. All is well in heaven. Have no fear that your child is not with God. We must all cooperate with heaven during this time so prayerfully consider what it is that Jesus needs from you.
June 8, 2004 Mary (An Unknown Saint)
Again, today, I speak to mothers. Jesus, who understands all, wishes that I speak to you with the power of experience. When someone speaks to you about a skill and you suspect that the person knows nothing about the topic he addresses, you tend to wonder why you are listening. But when someone speaks to you with the benefit of experience, you listen more carefully, because if you are wise you will wish to learn from that person’s experience and so avoid mistakes you might otherwise make. I wish to help you to understand the noble task of mothering that God has willed for you. If you are a mother, the parenting and direction of your child must be the first priority of each day. You must see to the child’s need before anything else. If you are working in a job where it is not possible to do this, you must consider carefully whether or not Our Lord wishes you to remain in that job. Again I must say that I do not speak to mothers who are working to provide for food and shelter for their children. You will know yourself if you are working from necessity or working from the desire to acquire more worldly possessions than you need. Let us examine what is necessary for a child to flourish in today’s world. Food, shelter and clothing are the barest concrete necessities. What kind of food does your child need? Simple food, prepared at home, by someone who loves the child. This is the best way to nourish a growing body. If your child is well used to eating at home and eating simple foods, that child will not demand more elaborate fare. If the child does demand more elaborate fare, you simply say no. Now we look at shelter. When a child is born and is laid in his mother’s arms, he does not wonder how many rooms are in his home. He feels safe and warm and is content. That child is brought home. Again, he is not concerned with how big his house is, rather, he is concerned that when he cries, his mother responds. The child begins to grow and look around. Still, he does not say, why don’t I have a big house? Why don’t I have an expensive car to drive in? He looks to his parents for guidance in this area and if his parents are content with what that family has, then the child understands that there is no reason to complain. If a parent is discontent and always longing for something better or something more, the child feels he, too, has been shorted. Mothers, please set a tone of thanksgiving for what you have, regardless of how humble are your possessions. Your child will do the same and you will set the course for a lifetime of contentment, rather than a lifetime of greed and covetousness. I must speak about clothing. Again, if you do not entertain thoughts of bitterness that your clothes are not as fine as the next person’s, your child will think nothing of it. When he comes home and says that other children have better clothing than he does, you must say that in heaven nobody looks at clothing and begin to praise the beauty of your child’s soul and the lovely virtues that are developing. My child will not like this, some will say. Again I say to you dear mothers that your child will adopt the tone you set. Set a tone of simplicity in your home and explain to your child that your family rejects the notion that fine clothes and homes make fine people. Holy households make fine people and that is what you must strive for. You will find peace in your home if you try to implement these concepts because you will have all of heaven assisting you. I understand that some children have been exposed to worldly ideas and we will speak about that tomorrow. For today, concentrate on simplicity in your home.
June 9, 2004 Mary (An Unknown Saint)
Dear mothers, you must serve tirelessly. Those who have not experienced motherhood cannot understand how hard it can be to work, perform the same tasks, over and over. When you perform these tasks in love, great graces can be obtained for both your family and for the Kingdom. In this way you are directly contributing to the advancement of the cause of heaven. Jesus is so pleased with this kind of cooperative service and He will reward you in countless ways. Cleaning your floors then becomes a divine service, as does washing your dishes, or cleaning the children’s clothes, or any of the hundreds of domestic chores you perform daily. I am in heaven now and I have the benefit of such wisdom and knowledge. You would be overjoyed to see my reward, yet I was a simple housewife. I looked on my role of mother as a serious task. I saw each child individually and wondered where they would fit. I tried to help them develop their strengths, all the while searching for the character flaws that might cause them hardship. When I spotted something I felt might be a problem for them, I tried to help them conquer this flaw. These little acts of control or mortification should be praised in your small ones because as they grow they will then practice that same control or mortification as adults. There is no way to understand the importance of that early formation. Truly, believe me when I tell you that you will see your children as adults behaving the same way they did as children, so if a troublesome behavior is allowed as a child, that individual will practice that same behaviour as an adult only you will have little power to correct it. So watch your children closely and praise their little virtues with great constancy. Praise and encouragement will win the day with little ones. When you do identify that little flaw, mothers, speak softly but firmly and explain how Jesus will help with any temptations. Do not criticize your child in such a way that they are embarrassed as this is never a good thing and causing a child public shame results in the most serious effects. But quietly and privately explain why such behaviour is wrong and how it could hurt either someone else or the person committing the act. The little soul is so precious and must be preserved. We teach children how to clean themselves and how to feed themselves. We must also teach children how to clean and feed their little souls. Many of today’s children do not even know they have a soul, much less how to protect it and maintain it. Poor Jesus. How he looks with sadness upon these precious little ones, so hungry in spiritual terms. Mothers, treat this responsibility with the greatest reverence. I want to help you. Our Lady wants to help you. I prayed to her so often and she always helped me. There were many times when I worried myself nearly sick over a child. There was no need for this. I should have trusted more. I urge you all to pray together but we hardly need talk about the necessity of family prayer. Let me say that there are invisible graces that flow down upon a family during family prayer. Those graces provide unseen ties that hold a family close during all trials. Pretend these ties are visible and that you can see them, flowing down upon your family as you pray together. I want to tell you that when you attempt to introduce family prayer to those children who have not prayed together in the past, you may experience resistance. Expect this. Also, when you say no to a child who has previously been given many material things, you will get anger. It will pass. Your child will object to being forced to pray and having material things taken away. Be brave, mothers. Be strong. Do not think for a moment that your decisions should be based on the anger or resistance of your children. Make your decision, and then impose it. Your children will come around if you are firm. Pray to Our Lady to help you turn your household into another holy family that serves the Kingdom. She will hear you and she will help. Set an example of calm holiness yourself and I promise that all will be well.
June 10, 2004 Mary (An Unknown Saint)
We must speak today to all mothers who are alone in the parenting of their children. Dear mother, you are supposed to have help, it is true. It is very difficult to be alone in a job that requires two people. Do not be afraid though, because in this situation heaven steps in with great power. You must tell yourself to be brave. You will never be alone in any problem that involves your parenting. God is the Father of your children and He has placed them in your care. He will see that you have everything you need to shepherd your children through their childhoods. You must communicate with Him constantly about your fears, your concerns over their development, and of course, providing for their material needs. You should also confide in Mary, the Blessed Mother. She was a constant source of comfort and support to me in my own parenting. Between Jesus and Mary, you will have all of the assistance you require. Please believe that if you are following that path to heaven, your children will also follow the path to heaven. A great deal of the work of parenting is done in the example that you set. If you walk constantly toward Christ, your children will recognize that path, and they will recognize when they have left that path. You are not a single parent, dear mother, because you are part of a heavenly team that is going to see that your children receive exactly what they need to serve Christ. You have many friends in heaven who understand your struggles. Cry out to them when you are worried. When you experience joy and there is nobody there to share it with you, share it with Jesus. He will experience such delight if you do this. Our Jesus wants people to rely on Him in grief, of course, but He takes special joy in a soul calling Him in to share family happiness or accomplishment. This will create for Jesus a firm role in your family and He will not disappoint you or fail to pull His share of the weight. Such a thing is not possible. You must always remember this, dear little mother who feels so afraid at times. You are not alone. Speak constantly to heaven about your children. Heaven is filled with souls who cherish them as much as you do. Mothers, there will be children who divert from the heavenly path at times. You must try not to be alarmed because this is not uncommon. Pray constantly for these souls, of course, but show them peace in the face of their rebellion. Explain that they have left the heavenly path and that if they are off the path when Christ comes, there is the danger of not getting back to the path in time to get to heaven. I speak of course about older children who have rejected Christ and Christian living. I hear the cries of mothers who worry over these rebellious ones. That is why I speak of it. Remember that Christ is all mercy to a mother. Your maternal prayers are powerful so continue to pray for your child but do not think that all is lost, regardless of the circumstances. Even in the direst cases, Jesus will forgive all for the sake of a holy mother. So really, there is nothing you should upset yourself with, dear mothers. Our Lord will save your children and protect their eternities. Your job is to cooperate with Him. Speak the truth to your children fearlessly, in kindness and love, and they will belong to Christ.
June 11, 2004 Mary (An Unknown Saint)
Mothers of this time have many fears and justifiably so. The world seeks to snatch souls from Jesus and attempts to entice children away from the path. Mothers, do not fear, but talk to your children about sin. When a child commits an act that is sinful, you must tell that child that he or she has committed a sin. You must then make a habit of participating in the Sacrament of Reconciliation so that the child understands that while he or she has committed a sin, there is forgiveness available. You must secure your children’s habit now, so that when grown they understand not only that a sin has been committed, but how they should go about cleansing their soul. They must know that they have a need for this Sacrament often. These habits stick, which is why it is so important to ingrain them in souls when they are young. If you do this, you will see your children taking responsibility for their mistakes as adults. This is what the world is lacking during this time of darkness. There is a great deal of blame being laid by souls who refuse to acknowledge that they make mistakes. In this way, they do not have to change sinful patterns of behaviour. The world reinforces this by the constant game of blaming someone or something other than the person who committed the act. Mothers, do not allow this to happen in your home. Be kind and understanding always but if a child commits an act that has risen to the level of sinful behaviour, you have an obligation to call it by name and the name of such an act is sin. It can be difficult if your husband is not following the same path. This is a great cross for you and also a great cross for your children. In that case you must pray with the greatest of diligence, every day, for your husband’s conversion. You must also continue to set the example, often in the face of ridicule, that you will not be enticed to sin simply because your husband is behaving in a rebellious way. Many marriages today are ill advised because one of the parties has no intention of following Christ. If this is the case, you must not marry this person. You cannot be expected to bring up children as Christians if your husband refuses to acknowledge Christ as the Leader. Take heart though, if you are in this situation. Do your best, dear woman, and let Jesus flow into your home with special graces. He will do this and He will hear your pleas for peace in your home. And do not lose hope that your husband will convert. Your children will also know the Truth, and, although there will be times when it suits them to follow the path of the non-believer, they will return to Christ. The best way, indeed the only way, to have a holy family, is to live in holiness and allow Christ to protect your family. He will do this for you.
June 12, 2004 Mary (An Unknown Saint)
We must all give great thanks and praise to God the Father for allowing these many graces to flow down into your world. It is a sign of His great mercy that so many of us are allowed to speak to you. I have a special bond with mothers of course, because so much of my life was spent in this role. I want to say a brief word to mothers of children who are ill or who struggle with disability. Mothers, our little child will be perfectly healed in heaven. You must believe that God understands your heartache and that He wishes to walk with you in this heartache at each moment. I know how difficult this may be, but try to accept that God had a purpose for allowing your child to experience this suffering. You are a part of that purpose so be certain that you continually ask God to send each and every grace available to you. Set a tone of joyful acceptance always and your child will understand that he or she is precious and perfect in your eyes and in the eyes of God. I lost a little child to sickness so I understand the great sorrow attached to this heavy cross. You will never regret that you accepted great sorrow for Christ. Believe me please when I tell you that in heaven all is joy. If you are struggling with crosses involving your children, you must cry out often to heaven, sometimes all day long. Heaven will help you, in many ways, but the most important grace that heaven will send is peace, and peace will soothe your family and decrease the weight of your cross. Do not compare your family life to others, who live only for the world. You must live for heaven and for the Kingdom so compare your family life to that of the Holy Family. Jesus, Mary, and Joseph lived simply and humbly, offering all to heaven. They often went quietly without for lack of money. They spent time in exile. They served God in everything, seeking only His will. They were fair and just in their dealings with others and used the family home setting to increase their virtues by selfless service to each other. Mary, our heavenly mother, is the model of all mothers. She was kind, gentle, and she was constant and consistent. She did not require long holidays from her role as mother. Her husband and child were her first priority and her role in her home was her vocation. Joseph is the model for fathers and wishes to speak with you himself. In heaven, Joseph is honoured with the greatest of reverence. His faith alone makes him worthy of the greatest reward, but his humility also bears mention. He will speak to all, but especially to fathers. I thank God for allowing me, Mary, a humble little saint in heaven’s ranks, to speak with you. Call on me for anything. My love and prayers are with you.
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